Staggers Point was the earliest large community in Robertson's Colony. It was settled by Irishmen who came to America in 1821, lived in South Carolina and then in Alabama, and in 1829 sent Robert Henry west to find a permanent location. Their ox-wagon train arrived in 1833, log cabins were built, and by 1836 kinsmen had joined the early arrivals to strengthen the settlement. The community name, meaning "Strivers' Point" in dialect, was probably given for the rugged zeal of the settlers in the face of hardships. James Dunn built a fort to give the neighborhood a refuge during Indian raids. In the War for Independence of 1835-36, men from Staggers Point fought in major actions, including the April 21, 1836, Battle of San Jacinto, which freed Texas from Mexico. In the 1830s and 40s, the Irish were compelled to keep up their defenses against the Indians, and women as well as men earned respect for skill with long guns. In time the village had a church, stores, a cotton gin, a race track, and taverns, and gamblers and ruffians drawn to the races invaded it. Until the settlers subdued the lawless, duels and gunplay were common. This remained a progressive community until 1868, when the Houston and Texas Central Railway bypassed it and business waned; descendants still honor the settlers.